Appendix 1
Usg Place Naming Guidelines Template *Draft*
College/University Place Naming Guidelines
Introduction
The act of naming a College/University facility is the conferral of not only a high honor but also a conspicuous honor. It publicly exhibits the judgment and standards of College/University as well as the Board of Regents and signifies lasting approval of the actions of the honoree.
College/University considers the naming of University System real estate and facilities, in honor of an individual, corporation, foundation or organization to be one of the highest distinctions it can bestow. In light of the importance and magnitude of this honor, the following guidelines and process shall apply to all place naming on all property owned or leased by the Board of Regents under the auspices of College/University.
The President may establish an (ad hoc or standing) Advisory Committee to make naming recommendations to the President. The President of College/University is the final arbiter of all decisions related to place naming at College/University prior to submittal to the Board of Regents for approval in accordance with Board Policy and procedures.
Process for place naming
When the desire for a naming is apparent and/or it appears that a contribution (gift) to benefit College/University will result in a naming request for a donor or other individual, College/University’s Office of Institutional Advancement must be notified and provided with a profile of the donor or individual being honored, the area of interest along with any proposed stipulations, and information about how the contribution (gift) will be paid.
After review by the Office of Institutional Advancement, the information will be forwarded to the president for his consideration. If required, the president will submit the naming recommendation to the Board of Regents for approval in accordance with Board policy and procedures. The president of College/University is the final arbitor of decisions at the local level and submittal to the Board of Regents for approval must be under the signature of the president.
In order to assure system and institution wide coordination of naming ceremonies, such events typically are planned through the Office of the President (and/or the Office of Public Information and/or the Office of Institutional Advancement) of College/University in coordination with the associated University System office(s).
Signage
All signage to be affixed on or adjacent to any, building, facility or interior space shall be approved by the president of College/University (in consultation with the donor). All signage shall be consistent with College/University’s master plan and design criteria. No signage shall be approved, and/or erected that is in contravention of Board of Regents policy.
***Institutional Advancement Officers are requested to recommend language to address the Board’s interest in setting achievable targets for fund raising to encourage and maximize fund raising potential. Consideration is being given to sector based targets and/or ranges. The language below will be adjusted accordingly.***
Contribution Guidelines
When the naming of a facility at College/University is based on a monetary contribution, the following guidelines apply:
BUILDING: Any person or entity desirous of having a building at College/University named shall be able to pursue this end in consideration of a financial contribution so long as the gift amount is at least ____% of the cost to construct the building or of the estimated value for existing buildings. The gift must be secured at least ___ months prior to the announcement of the naming and may only occur in accordance with the approval of the Board of Regents.
STREET: Any person or entity desirous of having a street at College/University named shall be able to pursue this end in consideration of a financial contribution of at least $_______________. The gift must be secured at least ___ months prior to the announcement of the naming and may only occur in accordance with the approval of the Board of Regents.
INTERIOR: Any person or entity desirous of having an interior space such as rooms, hallways, etc., at College/University named shall be able to pursue this end in consideration of a financial contribution of at least $_____________. The gift must be secured at least ___ months prior to the announcement of the naming and may only occur with the approval of the president.
At the discretion of the President, there may be reasonable exceptions to the above.
Contribution guidelines should be expanded to address institution opportunities.
***Institutional Advancement Officers are requested to recommend language to address the Board’s interest in obtaining reliable financial commitments without unduly limiting fund raising effectiveness. The language below will be adjusted accordingly.***
The gift, or a signed pledge for the gift, must have been received by the institution before the naming is completed. Deferred or estate gifts are preferred to be irrevocable and defined in writing. Deferred gifts such as bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable trusts, and life insurance policies may be appropriate for current naming opportunities. Options should be discussed with donors and appropriate assurances secured by the institution.
Any gift, for a place naming shall be paid over a period of no longer than ____ years and outlined in writing in a commitment signed by the donor. All other gifts for streets and interiors must be paid over _____ years. The gift may be unrestricted or to establish a program endowment or in other ways selected by the donor and is not intended to be restricted to construction and/or facilities related costs.
It is the policy of College/University to forward the formal naming request to the Board of Regents only after at least ___ % of the gift has been received by the College/University.
Removal of Names
From time to time, situations may occur which would warrant the removal of a name from a building or other place on the campuses of College/University. When the naming authority lies with the Board of Regents, so does the authority and responsibility to remove a name when appropriate.
Circumstances may dictate that the parameters under which a place name was bestowed at the institution have changed to the extent that consideration must be given to removing the name. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to the following circumstances:
The honoree does not follow through on a financial commitment;
The honoree fails to maintain the high standards of College/University or the Board of Regents; or
The honoree, person or entity, engages in conduct that constitutes an act of moral turpitude; or
for other appropriate reasons.
College/University judges each naming removal situation individually based on the facts. No decision will be made without taking into account all of the facts that are relevant to the decision. The president of College/University will endeavor to ensure that the removal of a name is consistent with the interests of College/University and the University System of Georgia.
College/University makes no assurances that a naming will remain beyond the useful life of the facility.
Procedures for the Removal of Names
When it becomes apparent that there may be a reason to consider the removal of a name from a facility at College/University, the Vice President for Institutional Advancement shall be supplied with the original naming history and all salient circumstances surrounding the removal recommendation.
The Vice President for Institutional Advancement presents the naming history to the President who shall make a determination as to whether a name shall be removed. If the naming was within the President’s delegated authority, his/her ruling is final. If the naming is outside the President’s delegated authority and the President recommends the name removal, then the President will submit the proposal for removal of the name of said facility to the University System chief facilities officer basically in the the same process called for in naming.
The removal of a name from a room or other interior space(s) of a facility may be approved by the President (upon the recommendation of the Advisory Committee).
Periodic Review of Naming Policy
The President of College/University (and the campus Advisory Committee) shall review this guideline on a regular and recurring schedule in order to assure that it continues to be in compliance with the policies of the Board of Regents.